Early Tuesday morning, law enforcement officials raided the Zionsville, Indiana, home of former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle.
While law enforcement officials haven’t spoken publicly about the specifics of the investigation, the multi-agency raid comes on the heels of the arrest of the executive director of a charitable foundation founded by Fogle on child pornography charges. Unnamed FBI sources told WXIN that this raid on Fogle’s residence was part of the ongoing child-pornography investigation.
The Associated Press reports authorities were seen removing electronics from the premises and searching the house with police dogs.
Raining out here as media and police work outside Subway Jared’s home. pic.twitter.com/pfvE29ddIu
— Madeline Buckley (@Mabuckley88) July 7, 2015
Fifteen years ago, Fogle rose to sudden fame as the pitchman for the Subway restaurant chain after losing 190 pounds on a diet and exercise regimen that involved a lot of walking and eating Subway sandwiches in lieu of junk food. Subway used Fogle’s story as a way to market its meals as a healthy alternative to other fast food chains, turning Fogle, who was then a freshman at Indiana University, into an instantly recognizable face the world over.
Fogle created the Jared Foundation in 2004 as an effort to promote healthy diets and exercise among children.
In April, Jared Foundation Executive Director Russell Taylor was arrested at his home in Wayne Township, Indiana, on charges of possession of child pornography, child exploitation, and voyeurism. Law enforcement officials found hundreds of explicit videos of children filmed by Taylor in his home or former homes between 2012 and 2015.
The Jared Foundation severed its ties with Taylor after his arrest.
Update 4:25pm CT, July 7: Subway has cut its ties with Fogle following the raid, the Associated Press reports. The company said in a statement to reporters that it understands that the raid “is related to a prior investigation of a former Jared Foundation employee.”
Photo by Anna Hanks/flickr (CC BY 2.0)
